Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

Joshua 1:9

Once upon a time in a land far away I was a teacher. In college I took an education course specifically geared toward instructing new teachers how to create effective lesson plans. It was tedious work, but all these years later I remember that the main objective of the class was to have a main objective when teaching. Start each new unit with a goal: what should the students be able to do at the end of this series of lessons? Start with the main objective, then build your lessons backward from there.

In Joshua 1 God gave Joshua a pretty big goal, and because Joshua knew the main objective he could follow the plans God laid out to get himself and the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. Joshua knew God had placed him in a position of leadership, so he took the appropriate action steps in confidence, knowing that God’s purpose was sound. Joshua was strategic and intentional, because he kept the main objective in mind. 

What is your main objective? Who do you want to be in a month? A year? Where do you want to be, and what do you want to have accomplished at the end of 2021? Are you paying attention to the plans God has laid out for you to follow to get yourself from here to there? We can go into this year with the same confidence Joshua possessed, because we serve the same God who equips his people and promises to “be with you wherever you go” (v9). “Be strong and courageous” is said four times in Joshua 1, and that’s a charge we can abide by as well.

Nothing is unknown to God. He has always known the main objective, and He has always known where you and I fit into the timeline to achieve it. He has cared for and provided for us up until now, and He’ll continue to do so until the end of our days no matter what crises befall us...global or otherwise. We are where we are for a reason, and we can step into this unknowable year with confidence knowing that we are here on purpose.

Go forth and be awesome in the name of the Lord!